Erich Jarvis
Encyclopedia
Erich Jarvis is an associate professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center. He leads a team of researchers who study the neurobiology of vocal learning, a critical behavioral substrate for spoken language. The animal models he studies include songbird
s, parrot
s and hummingbird
s. Like human
s, these bird groups have the ability to learn new sounds and pass on their vocal repertoires culturally, from one generation to the next. Jarvis focuses on the molecular pathways involved in the perception and production of learned vocalizations, and the development of brain circuits for vocal learning
. To accomplish this objective, Dr. Jarvis takes an integrative approach to research, combining behavioral, anatomical, electrophysiological, and molecular biological techniques. The discoveries of Dr. Jarvis and his collaborators include the first findings of natural behaviorally regulated gene expression in the brain, social context dependent gene regulation, convergent vocal learning systems across distantly related animal groups, the FOXP2
gene in vocal learning birds, and the finding that vocal learning systems may have evolved out of ancient motor learning systems.
In 2002, the National Science Foundation
awarded Jarvis its highest honor for a young researcher, the Alan T. Waterman Award
. In 2005 he was awarded the National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award providing funding for five years to researchers pursuing innovative approaches to biomedical research. In 2008 Dr. Jarvis was selected to the prestigious position of Investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
.
Jarvis received a B.A.
from Hunter College
and a Ph.D.
from Rockefeller University
.
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
s, parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
s and hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s. Like human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s, these bird groups have the ability to learn new sounds and pass on their vocal repertoires culturally, from one generation to the next. Jarvis focuses on the molecular pathways involved in the perception and production of learned vocalizations, and the development of brain circuits for vocal learning
Vocal learning
Vocal learning is the ability of animals to modify vocal signals in form as a result of experience with those of other individuals. This can lead to signals that are either similar or dissimilar to the model...
. To accomplish this objective, Dr. Jarvis takes an integrative approach to research, combining behavioral, anatomical, electrophysiological, and molecular biological techniques. The discoveries of Dr. Jarvis and his collaborators include the first findings of natural behaviorally regulated gene expression in the brain, social context dependent gene regulation, convergent vocal learning systems across distantly related animal groups, the FOXP2
FOXP2
Forkhead box protein P2 also known as FOXP2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the FOXP2 gene, located on human chromosome 7 . FOXP2 orthologs have also been identified in all mammals for which complete genome data are available...
gene in vocal learning birds, and the finding that vocal learning systems may have evolved out of ancient motor learning systems.
In 2002, the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
awarded Jarvis its highest honor for a young researcher, the Alan T. Waterman Award
Alan T. Waterman Award
The Alan T. Waterman Award is the United States's highest honorary award for scientists no older than 35. It is awarded on a yearly basis by the National Science Foundation. In addition to the medal, the awardee receives a grant of $500,000 to be used for advanced scientific research at the...
. In 2005 he was awarded the National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award providing funding for five years to researchers pursuing innovative approaches to biomedical research. In 2008 Dr. Jarvis was selected to the prestigious position of Investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a United States non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded by the American businessman Howard Hughes in 1953. It is one of the largest private funding organizations for biological and medical research in the United...
.
Jarvis received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Rockefeller University
Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a private university offering postgraduate and postdoctoral education. It has a strong concentration in the biological sciences. It is also known for producing numerous Nobel laureates...
.
Selected Publications on Neurobiology of Vocal Learning
- Jarvis ED, Nottebohm F. Motor-driven gene expression. (1997) http://www.jarvislab.net/Publications/pnas94-4097.pdf Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 94:4097-4102
- Jarvis ED, Scharff C, Grossman M, Ramos JA, Nottebohm F. For whom the bird sings: context-dependent gene expression. (1998) http://www.jarvislab.net/Publications/Neuron21-775.pdf Neuron 21:775-788.
- Jarvis ED, Ribeiro S, Vielliard J, DaSilva M, Ventura D, Mello CV. Behaviorally-driven gene expression reveals hummingbird brain song nuclei. (2000)
- http://www.jarvislab.net/Publications/JarvisEtAl2000(Nature).pdf Nature 406:628-632.
- Jarvis ED. Learned birdsong and the neurobiology of human language. (2004) http://www.jarvislab.net/Publications/Jarvis_Birdsong_Language.pdf Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1016: 746-777.
- Haesler S, Wada K, Nshdejan A, Morrisey E, Lints EKT, Jarvis ED, Scharff C. FoxP2 expression in avian vocal learners and non-learners. (2004) http://www.jarvislab.net/Publications/FoxP2Expression.pdf J. Neurosci. 24:3164-3175
- Jarvis ED, O Güntürkün, L Bruce, A Csillag, HJ Karten, W Kuenzel, L Medina, G Paxinos, DJ Perkel, T Shimizu, GF Striedter, M Wild, GF Ball, J Dugas-Ford, S Durand, G Hough, S Husband, L Kubikova, DW Lee, CV. Mello, A Powers, C Siang, TV Smulders, K Wada, SA White, K Yamamoto, J Yu, A Reiner, AB Butler. Avian Brain Nomenclature Consortium. Avian brains and a new understanding of vertebrate brain evolution. (2005) http://www.jarvislab.net/Publications/avianbrainnomenclature.pdf Nature Rev Neurosci. 6:151-159.
- Mouritsen H, Feenders G, Liedvogel M, Wada K, Jarvis ED. A night vision brain area in migratory songbirds. (2005) http://www.jarvislab.net/Publications/NightVisionBrain.pdf Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 102:8339-8344.
- Wada K, Howard JT, McConnell P, Lints T, Rivas MV, Whitney O, Horita H, Patterson MA, White SA, Scharff C, Heasler S, Zhao S, Sakaguchi H, Hagiwara M, Shiraki T, Hirozane-Kishikawa T, Skene P, Hayashizaki Y, Carninci P, Jarvis ED. A molecular neuroethological approach for identifying and characterizing a cascade of behaviorally regulated genes.(2006) http://www.jarvislab.net/Publications/Wada%20et%20al%20corrected.pdf Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 103:15212-15217.
- Smith VA, Yu J, Smulders TV, Hartemink AJ, Jarvis ED. Computational inference of neural information flow networks. (2006) http://www.jarvislab.net/Publications/Smith%20et%20al%20main%20text%202006.pdf PLoS Comp. Biol. 2:1436-1449.
- Feenders G, Liedvogel M, Rivas MV, Zapka M, Horita H, Hara E, Wada K, Mouritsen H, Jarvis ED. Molecular mapping of movement-associated areas in the avian brain: A Motor theory for vocal learning origin. (2008) http://www.jarvislab.net/Publications/Feenders_et_al_2008.pdf PLoS ONE 3(3): e1768, 1-27.
Awards and honors
- 1986 First Place Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research, NIH-MBRS Annual Symposium
- 2000 Esther & Joseph Klingenstein Award in Neuroscience
- 2000 Whitehall Foundation Award in Neuroscience, 2nd highest score
- 2000 David and Lucille Packard Foundation Award
- 2000 Hall of Fame: Hunter College Search for Education, Elevation & Knowledge (SEEK), NY
- 2001 Duke University Provost Bioinformatic Award
- 2002 Duke University Provost Computational Biology Award
- 2002 Hall of Fame: Alumni Association of Hunter College
- 2002 Human Frontiers in Science Program Young Investigators Award
- 2002 NSF Alan T. Waterman Award. NSF’s highest award for young investigators given annually to one scientist or engineer who under the age of 35 made a significant discovery/impact in science. Awarded for molecular approach and findings to map brain areas involved in behavior.
- 2003 The 2003 Distinguished Alumni Award of the City University of New York
- 2004 Intranet Linguists of the Year for 2004
- 2005 Dominion Award: Strong Men and Women of Excellence: African American Leaders. Prior awardees include Arthur Ash, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, and Michael Jordan.
- 2005 NIH Director’s Pioneer Award. Given annually to top ~1.5% of applicants
- 2006 Discover magazine top 100 science discoveries of 2005; avian brain nomenclature listed at #51
- 2006 Diverse magazine’s top 10 emerging scholars of 2006
- 2006 Popular Science Magazine’s Brilliant 10 of 2006 under the age of 45
- 2007 Mental Floss Magazine’s 10 Trail blazing scientist of 2007
- 2007 Creator Synectics’ top 100 geniuses
- 2008 HHMI Investigator Award
Public Impact
- New York University School of Medicine Invited Speaker 1st Annual Minority Student Conference
- National Academies of Science Evolution and Medicine 2009
- NOVA Science Now
- People Magazine
- My Hero